By Leta Kalamara

Greek tourism has recorded strong performance in the first two months of the year, with both travel receipts and visitor arrivals posting impressive growth, according to the Bank of Greece (BoG).

More specifically, Greece welcomed 2.13 million foreign visitors in January–February 2026, with travel revenues exceeding 1 billion euros. The robust winter performance suggests Greece is making progress in extending its tourist season, though attention is now turning to the potential impact of the Middle East conflict in the coming months.

The travel balance recorded a surplus of 518.8 million euros in the first two months, up from 179.8 million in the same period of 2025. Travel receipts jumped 70.7% to 1.007 billion, while travel payments rose by 77.8 million, or 19%, to 487.9 million.

According to the Bank of Greece, the increase in travel receipts reflects both a 38.5% rise in inbound travel and a 24.2% increase in average expenditure per trip. Net receipts from travel services accounted for 78.6% of total net services receipts.

Inbound travel rose 38.5% to 2.123 million visitors, compared with 1.537 million in the same period last year. Air arrivals increased by 19%, while arrivals via road border crossings surged by 83.9%. Travel from EU countries rose 49.1% to 1.106 million visitors, while arrivals from non-EU countries increased 28.6% to 1.023 million. Travel from euro area countries rose 37.3%, while arrivals from EU countries outside the euro zone jumped 129.5%.

Germany and the United Kingdom remained Greece’s main markets. Arrivals from Germany rose 8.2% to 174,400 visitors, while flows from France climbed 41.5% to 54,800. Italian arrivals increased 3.6% to 83,700 visitors. Among non-EU countries, arrivals from the UK surged 56.7% to 164,200, while those from the United States fell 9.8% to 98,100.

February performance was particularly robust, with non-resident arrivals and related receipts increasing by 44.5% and 83.2% respectively. According to the central bank, the surplus of the services balance posted a slight increase in February 2026, driven by an improvement in the travel balance, which was almost entirely offset by a decline in the transport balance surplus and a shift to a deficit in the balance of other services.

The primary income balance recorded a deficit twice as large as in the same month of 2025, driven mainly by a steep drop in net receipts from other primary income. The secondary income balance deficit widened, mainly due to higher net payments by the general government.

In the January–February 2026 period, the surplus of the services balance increased, primarily due to the improvement in the travel balance, although this was largely offset by a deterioration in transport and other services balances. The primary income account posted a deficit, compared with a small surplus in the same period of 2025, mainly due to lower net receipts from other primary income. The surplus in the secondary income balance narrowed over the same period, mainly due to lower net receipts in sectors of the economy outside the general government.